Iran arrests journalist shortly after release: judiciary

14 March 2017

Iran has arrested a reformist journalist after he was released from custody, a prosecutor in Tehran confirmed on Tuesday.

Ehsan Mazandarani, who runs the reformist daily Farhikhtegan, was initially detained in late 2015 and sentenced last April to seven years for "acting against national security".

"The arrest of this convict on security charges is in line with the continuation and completion of his previous sentence," Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi told the judiciary-linked Mizan Online website on Tuesday.

Mazandarani was temporarily released in October for health concerns after a hunger strike but was required to return to prison following treatment.

His re-arrest on Monday comes after he was reportedly released in February when unofficial sources suggested that his sentence had been reduced to less than two years.

Mazandarani's lawyer said he had heard about a reduced sentence but was yet to receive confirmation.

Another reformist journalist, Hengameh Shahidi, was also reportedly detained in recent days.

Shahidi's lawyer confirmed her arrest to the ISNA news agency on Sunday and said he awaiting approval from authorities to work on the case.

Four other journalists are thought to have been arrested around the same time as Mazandarani and have been given sentences ranging from two to 10 years.

He was previously arrested in 2009 for acting against national security and having contacts with foreigners as protests swept the country following the disputed re-election of hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.